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Tuesday, March 12

Good morning, TexMessagers! Can Congress prevent a March government shutdown?

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Joaquin Castro, seen speaking at the Democratic National Convention, was one of four Texas lawmakers to not vote with the majority of their party on the latest budget bill. Three of the four were newly elected in 2012–though Stockman had previously served in the 90s. (AP Photo)

A year and a half of failed budget negotiations is coming to a head in Washington. The threat of a government shutdown in March if no continuing resolution passes has created odd political bedfellows among Texans.

The House of Representatives took the first tentative steps in avoiding a crisis, by passing a continuing resolution to fund the government thru September on Wednesday. The majority of Republicans in the House voted for the measure, with the majority of Democrats voting against.

“There were really no perfect choices,” Castro said in a statement. “The continuing resolution gives flexibility to the Department of Defense and the Department of Veteran Affairs, which is key in supporting Joint Base San Antonio, the nation’s largest base operation.”

Veasey expressed a similar attitude.

“The bill presented today was far from ideal,” Veasey said in a statement. “However, I supported the measure because we must work to break the partisan logjam, find middle-ground to stabilize and restore confidence in the economy, and protect jobs in the 33rd Congressional District.”

Veasey singled out $6 billion for the F-35 Fighter plane that is manufactured in Fort Worth as being particularly helpful for his district’s economy.

The two freshmen Democrats joined Kevin Brady, R-The Woodlands, in their votes. Brady was unequivocal in his support of the resolution.

“This bill not only locks in lower spending levels for Washington, it shores up military spending, insists on full border security and denies $1 billion the President sought to implement his new health care law,” Brady said in a statement.

Republicans in the House expressed a desire to pass a budget bill without the drama that has plagued recent negotiations since the battle to raise the federal debt ceiling in the summer of 2011. Lawmakers failed to agree on deficit reductions to replace an automatic sequester invented in the debt ceiling bill. Then, during the December ‘fiscal cliff’ negotiations, lawmakers negotiated a last-minute tax deal, but punted on automatic spending cuts, which eventually hit their deadline on March 1.

The current bill funds most agencies at previous year’s levels, however the sequester cuts will see those numbers drop. The Department of Defense would see approximately $26 billion in cuts, according to a Texas on the Potomac analysis, in addition to further sequester cuts. The majority of Defense cuts come from a planned draw down in overseas operations such as Afghanistan. The bill funds Defense and Veterans’ Affairs for an entire year, while other agencies would see their funding expire in September.

The House measure now moves to the Senate, where its road to passage becomes rocky. Though most House Republicans supported the bill, Republican Senators have stated the will not support the current version of the continuing resolution.

“If Obamacare is fully implemented, it will create an even further drag on the economy, killing jobs and making it harder for those struggling to climb the economic ladder,” Cruz was quoted in an earlier Texas on the Potomac story.

On Monday, Jon Cornyn’s office announced he would support a Cruz-sponsored amendment to defund the healthcare legislation. However, Cornyn would not say if the amendment was a dealer-breaker as it is with Cruz.

Louie Gohmert, R-Tyler, and Steve Stockman, R-Friendswood both voted against the measure in the House.

Gohmert said the bill was an example of wasteful spending in Washington, though he did support the funding for the Department of Defense.

“I knew if we had defeated this bill, the bill that would have had to follow would have been better for the military and we could have cut bloated, wasteful, or damaging parts of the government,” Gohmert said in a statement.

Stockman did not respond to requests for comment at press time.

Sheila Jackson Lee, D-Houston, expressed sentiments similar to many Democrats, an opposition to the delayed funding for health care reform proposals—a cornerstone of Brady’s reasons for supporting the funding bill.

“Specifically, this bill will delay implementation of the Affordable Care Act, scheduled to begin enrolling participants in October,” Jackson Lee said in a statement. “Without IT infrastructure to process enrollments and payments, verify eligibility, and establish call centers, health insurance for millions of Americans could be further delayed.”

Jackson Lee said she offered amendments to add $10 million more for food stamps, $55 million more for Air Marshals, and $5 million for Veterans dealing with PTSD. All amendments failed.

Update: Freshman Pete Gallego, D-Alpine, also broke from the majority of his party to vote for the continuing resolution. Gallego supported the measure as a stopgap.

“Progress in Washington is measured in inches. This legislation is far from perfect, but it inches us forward,” Gallego said in a statement.

? March 13 Senate Armed Services Committee holds a hearing on sexual assault in the military.

? March 13 House Homeland Security Committee has a hearing on funding levels for next year.

? March 13 NASA’s Inspector General testifies to the House on funding levels for next year.

Today in Texas History

On this date in 1967, a record number of visitors showed up at the Diamond M Museum in Snyder to see Peter Hurd’s official portrait of Lyndon Johnson, which Johnson had rejected, declaring it “the ugliest thing I ever saw,” according to the Handbook of Texas Online. More>>>